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吉林华桥外国语学院期末论文（2008级）TheInfluencesoftheEnlightenmentuponEnglishLiterature启蒙运动对英国文学的影响姓名：王维维班级：翻译T0806二〇一〇年十二月AbstractTherewerealotofinfluentialthingshappenedinthe18thcentury.Themost8 influentialmovementistheEnlightenment.Thethoughtthattheworldwasanobjectofstudyandthatpeoplecouldunderstandandcontroltheworldbymeansofreasonandempiricalresearch.Thebourgeoisiegraduallywontheirpower.Theirneedforthechangesofculturallifeincreased.ThespecialneedofthebourgeoisieandtheinfluencesoftheEnlightenmentexertedgreatinfluencesontheliteratureofmanycountries.Inthisarticle,wemainlytalkabouttheinfluencesontheEnglishliterature.InfluencedbytheEnlightenment,theEnglishliteraturechangedalot.therearetwoaspectsofthechanges-changesontheliteratureformsandchangesonthecharacteristicsoftheliterature.Ontheaspectsoftheliteratureforms,newformscameintobeing,suchaspoliticalwriting,newspapersandjournals.Ontheaspectofthecharacteristics,theEnglishliteraturehadundergonealotofchangessuchas:neo-classicismbecamedominantfeatureoftheEnglishliterature.themodernEnglishnovel,namelytherealisticnovel,roseandflourished.TheGothicnovelfloweredinthe18thcentury.Andsatirebecameamainfeatureinthewritingintheperiod.Wewilltalkabouttheinfluencesindetailinthefollowingpassage.KeyWords:Enlightenment,literature,neo-classicism,sentimentality,Gothicnovels,satire.TheinfluencesoftheEnlightenmentuponEnglishLiteratureAlotofconstantchangeofeventshappenedinthe18thcentury.Newthoughtsandnewawarenesscontinuouslysprungup.ThemostinfluentialmovementistheEnlightenmentmovementwhichhaveexertedgreatinfluencesnotonlyintheEuropeancountries,butalsoinothercountriessuchasChina.TheEnlightenmentreferstoaprogressiveintellectualmovementthroughoutWesternEuropethatspansapproximatelyonhundredyearsfromthe1680sto1789.ItisoriginatedinFrance.WhenwetalkaboutwhytheEnlightenmentcouldcomeintobeingatthattime,weshoulddatebacktotheoriginofthewordEnlighten.TheleadersoftheEnlightenmentthoughtthattheylivedinaworldofenlightenment.Theyregardedtheprevioustimesasasuperstitiousandunenlightenedworldandnotuntiltheirperiod,humanbeingsmovedfromdarknessintolight.DuetotheEnlightenment,theconditionofhumanbeingswouldgraduallybecomebetterandbettersothattheconditionofanewgenerationwouldbecomebetterthanthepreviousgeneration.Buthowcouldtheymaintainthiskindofprogress?Theanswerisveryeasyandconvincing:throughtherationalpowersofhumanbeings.Inother8 words,thethoughtofreasonbecamethemostimportantintheEnlightenment.Thus,the18thcenturyiscalledtheAgeofReason.EnlightenmentthinkerssuchasVoltaire,Montesquieu,Locke,Hobbes,andRousseaubelievedthattheworldwasanobjectofstudyandthatpeoplecouldunderstandandcontroltheworldbymeansofreasonandempiricalresearch.CentraltothisEnlightenmentthoughtweretheuseandthecelebrationofreason,thepowerbywhichmanunderstandstheuniverseandimproveshisowncondition.Whenreasonservedastheyardstickforthemeasurementofallhumanactivitiesansocialrelations,superstition,injustice,privilegeandoppressionweretoyieldplaceto“eternaltruth,”“eternaljustice,”and“naturalequality”orinalienablerightsofmen.Thus,the18thcenturyenlightenersbegantoquestionwhynationsshouldberuledbymonarchswhocametopowerthroughanaccidentofbirth.Withanewbeliefthatsocietycouldbegroundedonrationalfoundationsdeterminedbyhuman,notarbitraryfoundationsdeterminedbyGod,theyclaimedthattheindividualwasthebasicunitofsocialanalysis,andthatthesocietyshouldemergeanddevelopastheresultofasocialcontractamongtheindividuals.Holdingthecommonfaithinhumanrationality,theenlightenersalsowagedwarontheircommonenemies.Atthesametime,theyadvocateduniversaleducation.Intheiropinion,humanbeingswerelimited,dualistic,imperfect,andyetcapableofrationalityandperfectionthrougheducation.Ifthemasseswerebettereducated,theythought,therewouldbegreaterchanceforademocraticandequalhumansociety.Asamatteroffact,literatureatthesametime,heavilydidacticandmoralizing,becameaverypopularmeansofpubliceducation.InspiredbythespiritoftheEnlightenment,moreschoolsweresetupthroughoutthecountrysoastoprovideabettereducationforthemiddle-classpeople.Asmorepeoplehadnowmoremoneyandmoreleisuretime,andbecamebettereducated,awidelydistributedreadingpublicgrew,especiallyamongthewell-to-domiddleclasswomen.Thisdemandedmorereadingmaterialsthatwouldbeofinterestandsatisfytheirneedforarationalandmorallife.Outsideregularschool,literaryworksofallkindsplayedadecisiveroleinpopularizationofgeneraleducation.TheCopyrightActo1709made,forthefirsttimeinEnglishhistory,literarycreationanhonorableandindependentprofession.TheEnlightenmentexertedinfluencesuponEnglishliteratureontwoaspects:theliteratureformandthecontentsofliteratureworks.Thefirstaspectinontheliteratureforms.Thepublishingflourishedastheneedofthebourgeoisie.Withtheascentofthebourgeoisieculturallifehadundergoneremarkablechanges.Someformsofpublication8 appearedatthattime.Thefirstoneispoliticalwriting.Theriseofthepoliticalpartiesandtheirrivalrycalledforthwritersandliterarymenwillingtoworkforeitherpartyinordertohelpeitherofthemwinmorevotes.Fromnowonwritingbecameanindependentjob.Thesecondisnewspapersandjournals.Forthemiddleclassdemandedentertainmentandeducation.Theyalsodemandedameansbywhichtheycouldexpresstheiropinionsonpoliticalandmoralproblems.Sointhe18thcenturynewspapersandjournalsflourishedandwiththemprosebecameforatimethepredominantgenreofthewriting.Thesecondaspectisonthecharacteristicsofliteratureworks.Inliterature,whatcoincidedwiththeEnlightenmentwastheAgeofReason.InthedevelopmentofliteratureintheAgeofReasoncanberoughlysummarizedas(thefollowingcanalsoberegardedastheinfluencesonthecharacteristicsoftheliterature):thepredominanceofneo-classicalpoetryandprosefromthelastdecadesoftheseventeenthcenturytotheearlydecadesofthe18thcentury;theriseandflourishofmodernrealisticnovelinthemiddleyearsofthecentury;andtheappearanceofGothicnovelandthesentimentalandpre-romanticpoetryandfictioninthelastfewdecadesofthecentury.Theneo-classicismreferstotheclassicaltendencythatdominatedtheliteratureoftheearlyperiod.ClassicismwasfirstlyinfluencedbyFrenchculture.ItwasatrendfirstoriginatedinFranceduringthereignofLouisⅪⅤwhenFrancewastheleadingpowerofthewesternworldBoileau’sPoetique(1674)wasadeclarationofclassicism,whichpropoundedthatdramatistsshouldfollowtherulessetdownbyRomanwriters.Forexample,indrama,adramatistshouldobservethethreeunitiesofaction,place,andtime.Inliterature,mostwritersofthetimehadagreatrespectfortheclassicwriters,andespeciallyforRomanssuchasHoraceandOvid.BothofthesetwopersonlivedandwroteduringthereignofEmperorAugustuswhenRomewasenjoyingpeaceandprosperity.Thecharacteristicsofcultureatthattimewere:harmony,decorum,andproportion.TheybelievedthattheRomanwritershadestablishedtheperfectartandrulesofartforfuturegenerationstofollow.Thoserulescouldbestbelearnedfromclosestudyoftheirworkandbycarefulimitationofthem.Thecharacteristicsoftheneo-classicismcanbesummedupasfollows:“1,peopleemphasizedreasonratherthanemotion,formratherthancontent.WritersstrovetorepressemotionsandenthusiasmasfoundintheworksofElizabethanwritersandtousepreciseandelegantmethodsofexpression.2,Asreasonwasstressed,mostofthewritingsoftheageweredidacticandsatirical.3,Aselegance,correctness,appropriatenessandrestrainswerepreferred,thepoetfoundclosedcouplettheonlypossibleverseformforseriouswork.4,Itisalmostexclusivelya“town”poetry,8 cateringtotheinterestsofthe“society”ingreatcities.Thehumbleraspectoflifeareneglectedanditshowsnoloveofnature,landscape,orcountrythingsandpeople.5,Itisentirelywantinginallthoseelementsthatarerelatedwiththe“romantic”.Itisunsympathetictowardthe“rule”mastersofoldliterature-towardsChaucer,Spenser,andevenShakespeare,anditisespeciallyhostiletowardseverythingthatbelongedtotheMiddleAgeswithitschivalrousextravagance,visionaryidealismandstrongreligiousfaith.”罗经国.《新编英国文学选读（第二版）》北京：北京大学出版社1996TheriseandflourishofmodernEnglishnovelisanotherimportantphenomenonofthe18thcenturyEnglishliterature.IntheMedievalortheRenaissanceperiod,theliteratureonlyservedforthefeudalaristocraticclass.Almostalltheliteraryworkswereaboutkings,queens,princesfeudallordsandtheirwayoflife.Romancewasthetypicalliteraryformintendedtodelightandentertainthearistocrats.But,aftertheEnlightenment,thebourgeoisiegainedpowerandthemiddle-classpeoplewerereadytocastawaythearistocraticromanceandtocreateanewandrealisticliteratureoftheirowntoexpresstheirideasandservetheirinterests.Insteadofthelifeofkingsandfeudallords,thewholelifeinitsordinaryaspectsofthemiddleclassbecamethemajorsourceofinterestinliterature.Thischangeofsubjectmatterwasmostobviousintheformofrealisticnovel.TherearemanyfamousnovelistsatthattimesuchasChaucer,Fielding,Sterneandsoon.Thesenovelistscombinedtheallegoricaltraditionofthemoralfableswiththepicaresquetraditionofthelower-castestories,theyachievedintheirworksbothrealismandmoraltouching.TheGothicnovelisthethirdcharacteristicsoftheliteratureinthatperiod.TheEnglishnovelfloweredinthemiddlepartofthecentury.But,inthelastfewdecades,however,itgraduallygavewaytoGothicnovelorGothicromance.Theterm“Gothic”derivedfromthefrequentsettingofthetalesintheruined,moss-coveredcastlesoftheMiddleAges.But,graduallyitextendedtoanynovelthatexploitsthepossibilitiesofmysteryandterroringloomy,decayingmansionswithdarkdungeonsandsecretpassages.ZhangBoxiang.ACourseBookofEnglishLiterature.2004Allkindsofthingscouldbethecentralstories.Thepersecutionofabeautifulmaidenbyanobsessedandhaggardvillainwouldoftenbethecentralstory.Instrumentsoftorture,ghostlyvisitations,ghostlymusicorvoices,ancientdrapesandtapestries,behindwhichlurksnooneknowswhatwouldbetheusualdevicesusedinGothicnovels.TheGothicnovelshavethefollowingcharacteristics:rebellingagainsttheincreasingcommercialism8 andrationalism,openinguptolaterfictionthedark,irrationalsideofhumannature-thesavageegoism,theperverseimpulses,andthenightmarishterrorthatliebeneaththecontrolledandorderedsurfaceoftheconsciousmind.TheoriginatorofEnglishGothicnovelwasHoraceWalpole.Thesentimentalityisthefourthcharacteristicsoftheliteratureinthatperiod.Poetryandfictionofsentimentalitydidn’tstartallofasuddeninthe18thcentury,becauseitwasnotoftenfoundearlierthanthat.Tosomedegree,wecansaythatthesentimentalityhaveappearedhandinhandwiththeriseEnglishnovel.Infiction,itwasfoundinPamelawhichwaswrittenbySamuelRichardson.Richardsonconcentratedonthedistressesoftheunfortunateandvirtuouspeopleandhedemonstratedthateffusiveemotionswereecidenceofkindnessandgoodness.Socialmoralityandethicshadchangedasareadysympathyandaninwardpainforthemiseryofothershavebeenaccepted.Thesusceptibilitytotenderfeelingsbecameasighofgoodbreedingandgoodmanners.Besides,sensibilityalsocouldbefoundinotherplacessuchasinthewildnessofnature,inthelawlessnessoftheexotic,andinthesensationalindulgenceoffearandawebeforethemysteriousortheinexplicable.While,somesentimentalworksworsenedintomereself-indulgentposturesofgriefandpainandtearswereshedtooprofuselyjustfor“theluxuryofgrief”.Inpoetry,therearealsosomerepresentativeworkswhichnotmentionthevariousodesofsensibilitywhichflourishedinthelaterhalfofthecentury.Satireisanothertypicalfeatureofthisperiod’swriting.Formallydefined,satireis“Acompositioninverseorproseholdingupviceorfollytoridiculeorlampooningindividuals.Theuseofridicule,irony,sarcasm,etc.,inspeechorwritingfortheostensiblepurposeofexposinganddiscourageviceorfolly.”Inotherwords,satireisaparticularuseofhumororovertlymoralpurposes.Itseekstouselaughter,notjusttoremindusofourcommon,oftenridiculoushumanity,butrathertoexposethosemoralexcesses,thosecorrigiblesortsofbehaviorwhichtransgresswhatthewriterseesasthelimitsofacceptablemoralbehavior.So,itansweredwellthepurposeoftheEnlightenment,whichaimedatpubliceducationinmoral,socialaswellasculturallife.Italsoprovedtobeaneffectiveweaponforargumentsofallkindsandverbalattacksonenemiesofboththeparty’sandthepersonal.Thebestsatiresoftheagearenotnotedfortheirwittinessofremarkandadeptnessoftechnique.Soitbecamethefashionforallformsofwritingatthetime.TherearealsorepresentativesofthesatirewriterssuchasPopeandSwift.TheinfluencesoftheEnlightenmentaremuchmorethanwhatwehavetalkedaboutpreviously.Itisamovementthatinfluencedalmostthewholeworldinmanyareas.Itisaverymeaningfulmovementinthehumanhistory.Weshouldprobeforasmanyasuseful8 ideasandthoughtsfromthemovementandapplythemtooursocietylifeandtrybesttomakeourlifebetterandletourlifestylebecomebeneficialtothenextfewgenerations.Bibliography8 ［1］ZhangBoxiang.ACourseBookofEnglishLiterature.2004［2］Stavrianos,L.S.AGlobalHistory.2006［3］WangZuoliangetc.EuropeanCulture.AnIntroduction.1992［4］罗经国.《新编英国文学选读（第二版）》北京：北京大学出版社1996［5］［美］威尔·杜兰.《世界文明史》（上）东方出版社1999年8
